Australia’s commissioner for race discrimination has strongly criticized Pauline Hanson, the leader of One Nation, over her controversial statements about Muslims, suggesting they could incite violence.

Hanson, during an interview with Sky News on Monday, declared that there were “no good Muslims,” a comment made just days before Ramadan, the most sacred month for Muslims.

Subsequently, she somewhat retracted her statements, which had already led to criminal complaints being filed with the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Expressing his alarm to SBS News, Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman voiced his serious concerns regarding Hanson’s comments.

“When a politician or any public figure vilifies and dehumanizes an entire community, it effectively signals approval for violent acts against them,” he stated.

“Such rhetoric encourages others to engage in aggressive behavior towards the targeted group,” he added.

The commissioner said there was a link between dehumanising language and violence.

“It’s making out that a group of people are somehow lesser or don’t belong or are bad, and that’s exactly what she’s doing,” he said.

“That dehumanisation is what then incites or gives permission for violence to occur.”

On Wednesday, Hanson offered a conditional apology before singling out the western Sydney suburb of Lakemba, which has a high Muslim population.

“If I’ve offended anyone out there that doesn’t believe in Sharia law or multiple marriages or wants to bring ISIS brides in or people from Gaza who believes in the caliphate … then I apologise to you for my comment,” she said.

“But in general, that’s what they want: a world caliphate and I’m not going to apologise.”

“And I’ve been there myself in Lakemba … you feel unwanted, you’re not wanted to be there.”

The Muslim community in the area has been on high alert after a threat letter was sent to Lakemba Mosque, the third it has received in a month.

It included a cartoon pig and contained calls to kill or deport Muslims, referencing an Australian convicted terrorist who killed 51 Muslims in Christchurch in 2019.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Bilal El-Hayek, representing Lakemba, called on Hanson to be under hate speech laws.

“There is a specific reference made of pubic incitement of hated, discrimination or violence against particular groups based on race, religion or gender,” he told ABC radio on Friday.

“Clearly, her latest target was Muslim people and I have no doubt that her remarks will incite someone.”

‘Long history of Islamophobia’

Sivaraman said that Hanson’s comments were “not a novelty”.

“They are part of a long history of Islamophobia, and it’s time that Senator Hanson is held accountable for her actions. We can’t simply treat it as something new,” he said.

Sivaraman also criticised Hanson’s calls for immigration to be cut, saying they had “xenophobic undertones”.

“There’s nothing wrong with having a debate about migration. It’s a genuine policy issue, but there is plenty of evidence to show that completely stopping migration would be absolutely disastrous for the Australian economy,” he said.

“I think that’s just one example where a policy that gets put forward that is populist and carries racist undertones should be challenged.”

The AFP on Friday said it had “received reports of a crime” in relation to Hanson’s remarks and further information would be provided at an appropriate time.

Several public figures have also criticised her comments, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said it “legitimises” violence towards Muslims.

Hanson was suspended and censured for a week last year after she wore a burqa into the Senate, repeating a stunt she pulled in 2017.

— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.

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